


In Which Carlos Finds Himself in Desert Bluffs

by Mychemicalromantic



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Angst, Hurt, Kidnapping, M/M, Rape, Seriously fucked up, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-05
Updated: 2014-11-10
Packaged: 2018-02-24 06:19:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2571248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mychemicalromantic/pseuds/Mychemicalromantic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carlos is held captive by Kevin and Carlos' double in Desert Bluffs. Carlos' double uses him as an experiment, for "science."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The door to the recording booth burst open. Cecil whipped around, ready to chastise the intruder, only to see a disheveled Dana in the entrance.   
"Cecil!" she whisper-shouted. "Switch to the weather. Now!"  
"I- okay..." he said slowly, questions evident in his voice. "Listeners, former intern, and now mayor, Dana Cardinal is here, so, I guess I'll leave you with the weather."  
Cecil slipped his headphones down around his neck and turned to face Dana.   
"What's wrong?"  
She cringed.   
"You won't like it."  
"Well, what is it?"  
"We... Carlos isn't in the desert anymore. We saw him outside of it."  
A smile tugged at Cecil's lips.   
"That- that's great! Why didn't he call me...?"  
"This... This is the part you won't like. It wasn't exactly Night Vale where we saw him. I just, Cecil, I feel like you just really needed to know."  
"Where was it?"  
"Desert Bluffs."   
Cecil felt his stomach drop. His throat closed up and, despite his best efforts to stop the trembling, he knew if he tried to do anything with his hands they'd be shaking.   
"So... Was he, like..."  
"What?"  
"Is he gonna live there, do you think?"  
Cecil's eyes glassed over but he bit his lip hard. When he spoke again his voice was wavering. "Is he leaving Night Vale?"  
Dana smiled sadly and shook her head.   
"No, no. It's nothing like that. He didn't look like he wanted to be there."  
Cecil made a small noise.  
"That.... That's something, I guess. What were they doing to him?"   
"Nothing, but that, um.... Kevin? That Kevin guy, he had his arms behind his back and Carlos looked pretty scared, from what I'm hearing."  
Cecil bit his lip so hard that blood welled up under his skin, nearly breaking through.   
"Do you think he's okay?"  
"I want to say yes, Cecil."  
She shook her head, curls bouncing. "But honestly? I don't know."   
Cecil nodded.   
"The weather is almost over... Are you busy or can you wait outside for me to wrap up?"  
"I'll wait. It's alright."  
Cecil nodded, slipped his headphones back on, and turned back around.   
Dana, listening in, couldn't help but flinch at the way Cecil's voice trembled as he spoke.   
Cecil walked out of the studio calling Carlos' number.  
It clicked on the second ring.   
"Carlos!" Cecil gasped.  
"Carlos isn't available right now," a high, lilting voice crooned into the phone. "Want me to take a message?"  
"You," Cecil hissed. "Where is he? Is he safe?"  
"He's safe right now, sure. We even made sure he can't go anywhere and get hurt!"  
Cecil hissed a breath in through gritted teeth.   
"You monster."  
"I haven't done a thing, yet."  
The line went dead before Cecil could reply. He hung up, frustrated, and shoved his phone into his pocket.   
"Cecil?"  
"Yes? Sorry, Dana, I'm just- ugh."  
"It's fine, don't worry. He'll be back soon."


	2. Chapter 2

Carlos pulled the door open with such force he was a little worried the old wood would break.

"Cecil, don't worry, I'll be-"

He stopped dead before he could go through. This was _not_ his Night Vale. Blood ran from the shingles on the dull gray buildings like water, turning the sandy streets damp and red. It was eerily silent, but far in the distance he could see the familiar skyline of Night Vale, of _home_ in the background. Helicopters circled over the buildings and Carlos prayed silently he would be spotted and taken home. He exhaled hard. This must be the Desert Bluffs Cecil spoke so poorly of. But it was only a few miles from home. He could run, drive, _anything_ was better than this. Then, a noise behind him. Running feet.

"Don't you dare!" a high voice cried.

Acting on instinct, Carlos slid through the doorway. Before he could shut it behind him another figure came tumbling through.

"Cecil?"

Then the figure stood. He bore an uncanny resemblance to Cecil even from behind, down to the messy dark braid Cecil was fond of wearing on particularly warm days. Despite that, something was very wrong with him, something aside from the prolific bloodstains on his clothes. Carlos couldn't place it until he turned.

"What the _hell_?!" he cried before he could stop himself.

The not-Cecil figure had empty black eyes that were oozing blood and pus in equal measure. He smiled with sharklike, bloody teeth and Carlos was sure that if he could get a closer look he'd have three or four rows of them.

"That's not very polite. I'm Kevin. You must be Carlos! I've heard so much about you from dear Cecil, bless his heart. You're just as pretty as he says, though your hair isn't as nice as I expected."

Carlos, a little affronted, touched a hand to his messy hair- which was, admittedly, filthy.

"Thanks, I guess. How far is Desert Bluffs from Night Vale?"

"We can't just let you go like that, let me show you around! Stay a while."

"Er... No thanks."

Kevin's face hardened and he grabbed Carlos' arm. Carlos tried to twist away, but Kevin's wiry strength was too much. Kevin half-dragged, half-marched him down and away from the center of the little town, down to a sprawling, two-story building without any markings. It was bloodless and sat like a guard on the outskirts of town. He was forced through a pair of narrow glass doors that locked with an audible click behind them.

"Di-ego!" Kevin called sweetly. "I'm home, and I brought you a new test subject!"

There was running from upstairs and a man who could've been Carlos' twin, even with his close-cropped hair without a touch of gray, came bursting down. Carlos was forgotten as the two embraced, Diego holding Kevin close and kissing his dark hair, despite the fact that it was matted with dried blood. Carlos tried to exit through the doors but the locking mechanism held fast.

"Baby, oh, Smiling _G_ _od_ , my sweet sunshine. I missed you so, so much."

"I missed you too, Dee!"

"I love you... Let me deal with whoever you brought and then we can come make up for wasted time, okay? I'll be right back."

Diego dropped a parting kiss on his lips and then, before Carlos could react, grabbed his arm and dragged him upstairs. Carlos' phone, left on the floor, began to ring. Kevin smiled and swiped across the screen with one bloodied finger.


	3. Chapter 3

Diego wrenched Carlos' arms back and marched him up the stairs and into what was clearly meant to be a lab. In the corner sat a hospital-style operating table with restraints bolted to it. It was stained with suspicious maroon, standing on shining metal legs. Diego pushed him hard against the wall and slammed his head roughly against it. While Carlos was stunned, Diego managed to restrain him to the table. It was cold, Carlos registered, and he could tell the bindings would pain his wrists and ankles horribly.

"What do you want?" Carlos asked softly.

He was terrified, heart pounding in his chest and blood roaring in his ears. "I just want to go home, please don't keep me here."

"Oh, but I've been working on a certain experiment lately. Surely you, as a man of science, understand. I'm working on psychological breakdown and, well, everyone in this town, even my darling Kevin, bless him, is under the Smiling God's thumb. He already broke them down. I need someone mentally sound to wreck and you, my dear, are perfect for it."

Carlos arched up off he table, panicked tears forming in his eyes.

"No! I need to get home, I need to see Cecil!"

"You don't need to do a thing. I'll have to work on those outbursts."

"Come on, I saw you with Kevin. You love him, and I love Cecil! What would you have done if it were him here and I was about to break him?"

"I'd kill you. I'm sure if your ever-so-precious Cecil cares enough he'll be here in a few hours."

Familiar footsteps echoed up the stairwell and, for a second, Carlos let himself hope it was Cecil. Even Kevin's gait was like Cecil's, Carlos reflected miserably as he bounced into the room.

"Hi, Dee. Cecil called! He says we're monsters." Kevin giggled brightly.

Diego sneered at Carlos.

"We'll see. Let me talk to you outside for a second, okay?"

Carlos let himself cry, then, hot embarrassed tears slipping down his cheeks.

"Please," he whimpered. "Cecil, please, please don't leave me here."

He could hear his phone going off again.

"Hello?" Kevin's voice drifted in from the hall. "Oh, hi, Cecil!" A pause. "You want me to tell him that? Alright, one second."

The door opened. "Cecil says he won't be coming for you for a while, Carlos. Sounds like we'll be together for a long time."

Carlos went limp and continued crying. Distantly, he could hear shouts made quiet by the distance between him and the phone- he'd recognize the sweet, deep voice anywhere. He could tell Cecil was angry, though he didn't know at what. _For getting your dumb ass caught? For leaving you so close to him but so far away?_ a snide little voice in the back of his head snorted. He made a strangled, choked noise, and the shouting intensified.

"Ce-cil, hear that? He's crying, what a pathetic piece of shit," Diego crooned into the mouthpiece. "We haven't even touched him yet, and he's sobbing his eyes out. Your boyfriend's a real pansy, huh? I've heard feminine boys are a much better fuck, I think I'll have to try."

Carlos bit his lip and breathed in deeply, trying to stop the tears. Diego bent over him and chuckled darkly before clamping a rag over his nose and mouth.

"Cecil!" Carlos tried to cry.

But the damage had been done. The sickly-sweet gas invaded his mouth and nose, filling his lungs with syrup. He was out in seconds.


	4. Chapter 4

Cecil snarled into the phone.

"Don't you _touch_ him, don't you fucking touch him or I swear, I swear I'll fucking slaughter you."

"What are you gonna do? Try and come rescue him? C'mon, Cecil. It's pretty useless."

"Go fuck yourself."

Diego laughed. "I'm about to! Your poor dear Carlos is going to love it, I'm sure. His body is just like mine, I can take him apart like you never could," he purred silkily into the phone. "Maybe I'll literally take him apart after I'm done."

Cecil bit back tears. "Go back to hell."

His voice cracked on the last word and he hissed, wiping tears from his eyes.

"You're crying? Between the two of you... Pathetic. If there's enough human left in his body after I've broken him, you can have him back."

"He's a human being! You can't just hollow his spirit out and use him."

"I can't? Watch me."

Diego hung up quickly.


	5. Chapter 5

Carlos woke up in the dark with something rough covering his eyes.  
He made an inquisitive noise and leaned back, trying to distance himself from the material. He soon discovered that it was something like a blindfold, and his heart sank. He began to breathe fast and heavy, palms sweaty and blood rushing in his ears. It was only when he got light-headed almost to the point of passing out that he realized panic would only give them another advantage and forced himself to calm down.  
"Carlos? You're awake, I see. That's good. Cecil put in a request, for me to, quote, 'go fuck myself.' We've got just the same body, right? Would it really matter much if I just fucked you instead?"  
Carlos cried out sharply and tried to pull away, panicking again and twisting with all his might. His wrists and ankles chafed, and then bled, leaving him with numb hands covered in his own warm blood, but he didn't care. All that mattered was getting out before Diego could touch him. A sharp, backhanded slap against his face startled him into stillness. Before he could begin struggling again, a soft whirring began to come from the metal table and Carlos' legs were forced up and out by stirrups that rose from where his ankles were restrained.  
"No, no, please, you can't, please no!" he blurted out suddenly, redoubling his efforts to escape.  
"Can't I? Dearest Carlos, I believe you're mistaken. You're powerless and, really? I can do whatever I want with you."  
"Don't touch me," he sobbed softly. His adrenaline-fueled struggle faded away and Carlos was left with bleeding wrists and weak, fluttering spasms of effort. "I want Cecil, not you."  
"Cecil doesn't care about you, Carlos, honey. You're nothing to him."  
"He does! I kn-know he does."  
"How can you tell? You left him, you barely even tried to get home. Your definition of care isn't too strong."  
Carlos was shuddering at that point, crying helplessly.  
"I tried!" he sobbed. "I tried to find him, I tried to get out... I just want to go home, don't keep me here."  
"It's been hardly any time, how are you already so broken? Hmm, hermano, I suppose I'm the strong double."  
"I'm not your brother."  
His voice was far stronger than he felt. Though it didn't tremble, Carlos' head was a mess. He was shivering and sobbing, panic welling up inside him almost continuously.  
"Yeah. Lucky for us, huh? I wouldn't be able to fuck you if you were."  
A hand stroked down the inside of Carlos' thigh. Carlos jumped and tried to pull away again.  
"None of that, now, darling. I'll be right back, don't you worry."  
Diego left and grabbed a pair of scissors off a table nearby and moved back between his legs.  
"Dee, Cecil is calling. Do you think he wants to hear?" Kevin asked a minute later.  
"Mmmm... Sure thing, sunshine. Don't put him on speaker, though, poor dear Carlos will be going through enough without hearing Cecil laugh. You know that Carlos managed to fool himself into thinking Cecil loved him? Ah, Carlito, you're adorable."  
Diego began to cut away at Carlos' clothes, leaving him naked and trembling with fear and cold.  
"Please, please don't," he sobbed. "I'm begging you, please, no."  
The sound of a zipper going down made Carlos' blood run cold.


	6. Chapter 6

Cecil woke up the next morning and dialed Carlos' number, praying the past day was all a dream. Even the desert would be better than that.

"Hel-lo?" Kevin chirped.

Cecil's heart sank.

"Where is he?"

Cecil sounded small, hurt, broken, he knew, but at this point it didn't matter.

"Safe. For now, he's safe."

"I... Please, Kevin... Whatever you want from me, just please don't hurt him."

Kevin giggled. "But Cecil, Carlos is so pretty. I want to keep him. Dee lets me keep whatever- or, I guess, whoever- I want. How are things between you and that chef?"

"Look, Earl isn't even involved in this. What do I have to do, what do you want from me? I'll give you anything to have him back-" Cecil's voice broke and he had to pause to stop himself from crying. "Please, just. I need him back."

"You'll get him, silly, don't worry!" Kevin giggled brightly. "Maybe not the same, but you'll get him."

"What if Carlos took Diego? What if he- he broke him down and you got back a hollow-eyed shell of him?"

Kevin was silent and when he spoke his voice was deadly soft.

"I'd kill him."

Cecil sighed. For all their differences he and Kevin were definitely the same when it came to their boyfriends. Kevin's voice brightened again.

"Anyway, I'll tell Dee you're calling! I think he's having some fun with Carlos."

Cecil listened with bated breath and tears in his eyes as he listened to Kevin bounding up the stairs.

"Dee, Cecil is calling. Do you think he wants to hear?"

"Hear what?" Cecil cried, a sick horror rising in his throat.

"Diego and Carlos are having fun, I told you."

"Cecil!" Carlos managed between pained breaths.

Carlos was crying, Cecil could tell- he'd know the hitching little breaths anywhere and he knew Carlos would be trembling. Then, a terrible, heart-wrenching scream came from the other end of the line. "No, no, _Cecil_ , please, please, Cecil, no," Carlos sobbed.

"Carlos!" Cecil cried through the hand he'd clamped over his mouth. "No, please, not my Carlos, please not this."

Kevin giggled lightly. "It's nice, it's like watching two of Diego having at each other. I mean, sure, Carlos is crying, but- you know something? Their cocks are just the same. Very nice. You and I- well, no, just me now. I'm very lucky."

Cecil snarled through the line. "I swear if I ever get my hands on you..."

There was another pained scream. "What the hell are you doing to him?"

"You told Diego to go fuck himself. So he is."

Cecil's throat closed up and he felt his heart trying to (metaphorically, he hoped) escape through his chest. "This... This is my fault?"

"Yep!"

"He's raping Carlos- _my_ Carlos, you monster- because of me?"

"Mmm-hm."

Cecil let out a quiet scream and collapsed to his knees on the hard wood floor of his living room, horrified guilt washing over him. Carlos shrieked again, screaming like the breath was being torn out of his lungs. It was a tear-choked wail, punctuated by a higher _ah!_ with each of Diego's rough thrusts.

"You enjoying yourself, slut?" Diego laughed softly before forcing him into a rough, messy kiss that was more teeth than lips.

Carlos shook his head, still trying to pull away from him. "Stop, stop, please, it hurts..."

"Not for me. It's much better when you're struggling."

Cecil was on the floor sobbing at that point, clutching a pillow to his chest and shuddering with guilt and fear.

"Carlos, baby," he whispered, praying for something to happen to Diego, praying for Carlos to pull himself free. "I'm coming, sweetheart, I promise."

Still holding the phone to his ear, forcing himself to endure Carlos' terrified screams, Cecil managed to compose himself and get into his car- _it still smells like Carlos- Cecil stop that, you're only making this worse- he smells like lavender- you need to go- I miss him- I know. So do I.-_ and got as far as Route 800 before he was stopped. Erika had appeared in front of the car, hovering slightly off the ground. Cecil had to stop short to avoid hitting them.

"Mister Palmer?" Erika ventured when he rolled down his window, their four eyes wide. "Mayor Cardinal says you can't go."

"Why not?"

They opened their mouth and Dana's voice came out.

"Cecil, don't go after them. There's one of you and at least two of them, and Carlos is going to be weak and hungry and sick- it's like leaving the desert makes all the food you didn't have catch up to you. You can't drag him out of there without both of you getting caught."

Cecil bit his lip hard and nodded, slowly. In his ear was still the tinny, corrupted sound of Carlos' soft, sobbing cries. They were a constant pitch now, and Cecil knew that Diego had finally left him alone.

"I'm so sorry," he said softly into the phone. His only answer was a quiet sob.


End file.
